Wizards owner confident John Wall will be able to return to form

It is fair to question what the rest of John Wall’s career will look like after his devastating series of injuries, but Ted Leonsis is not doubting him.

In an interview this week with Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, the Washington Wizards owner expressed confidence that Wall would be able to return to form.

“I’m very much looking forward to John Wall’s return because I think physically he will be in a much different place,” said Leonsis. “He has spoken about the pain that he had been in with his bone spurs. John once showed me a bone spur, one of the bone spurs that they took out of his heel. I will be sincere with you, I had never seen something like that. I couldn’t imagine what that felt like.”

Leonsis also said that he has had direct conversations with the five-time All-Star guard about how he should approach the next phase of his career.

“I do think John will come back healthy,” Leonsis added. “I think we’ve done this together; doctors, organization and coaches with John and when he comes back with Brad[ley Beal], that maturity, that seasoning but also that health will be a very positive next part of his career.”

Wall, who will turn 30 later this year, has not played in a game since Dec. 2018. He had surgery at that point to address the bone spurs in his left heel, and while recovering from that, ruptured his Achilles tendon in a fall at home.

For a player who relied heavily on speed and explosiveness (and also received the supermax from the Wizards before going down), one can understand why Wall poses a big question mark. The former No. 1 overall pick himself recently made a confident declaration about his health though, and Leonsis is echoing a similar belief.